Fascinating, fun and feel-good stuff from life in medicine.

Hector Flores, MD * Donald J. Kurth, MD * Ronald Bangasser, MD * Dev GnanaDev, MD * Syed Bokhari, MD

The CMA praises the plan's objective of expanded access to healthcare, but objects to the tax on physicians and selected other provisions.

Signed in December, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 instructs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to launch the Physician Voluntary Reporting Program, which financially rewards physicians for providing quality care to Medicare patients with chronic conditions.

In December, physicians participating in Health Net received a contract addendum intended to bring the plan into compliance with the 2005 RICO settlement agreement. After reviewing the document, California Medical Association officials discovered that the addendum and the underlying contract contained language that not only violates the RICO settlement agreement, but also violates the Knox-Keene Act.

Physicians have a role in curbing the health damage caused by methamphetamine. Learn the 15 steps to helping meth abusers.

National Coalition Is Watchdog for
Scope-of-Practice Expansion * Know Your Prescribing Data Options * Doctor Sued Over Smoking Ban * Become a Top Communicator

The second medical ecolo-nomic watershed event was employment-based health insurance. This type of insurance changed the evolutionary course of healthcare delivery in the United States.

More than 100 residents at Los Angeles County facilities have benefited from a new program funded by retired physicians.

To spur you to respond to the state's healthcare reform proposal, I am sharing excerpts of the letter I sent Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in January. I encourage you to write to him as well. 
I start: "Your health reform plan is misguided. Physicians are not the deep pockets you should be enlisting to pay for your proposed state insurance program."

In the movie "Apollo 13," there is a famous scene of program engineers desperately at work trying to figure out how to bring the crew safely back to earth. They gather up all of the material that the crew has at its disposal and throw it on a table. As I have watched the developing drama in Sacramento about repairing the healthcare system, that "Apollo 13" scene comes to mind.

The day before the Governator delivered his State of the State address, he delivered a shock to doctors. He announced a wrongheaded plan to "fix" the healthcare system. It appeared that he didn't learn anything from his 2004 battle with other professionals dedicated to society's infrastructure--teachers, police officers and firefighters.

It is time to stand together to fight for fair reimbursement for every doctor and basic healthcare for every patient.

On Dec. 5, 2006, Project K.I.N.D. invited its founders, volunteer providers and school nurses to a holiday luncheon, in part to honor several people for outstanding contributions to the organization's charitable mission.

There's still time to enjoy an Alaskan adventure and earn CME.

The Inland Empire Palliative Care Coalition will present its second annual educational conference, "Concepts and Cases in Palliative Care," on Sunday, April 29. The event will be held at the Mission Inn in Riverside, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Recent studies reveal that approximately 30.3 percent of children ages 6 to 11 are overweight and 15.3 percent are obese. Moreover, the prevalence of child obesity has quadrupled over the past 25 years. A 2003 California Field Poll shows that only 23 percent of Californians count unhealthy eating and lack of physical activity as top health concerns. These are alarming numbers.

The council launches a new Web site with practical tools designed to help physicians care for limited English-proficient patients.

Select a fellow member for recognition by the society and make your nomination by April 20. Four awards will be presented.

Our spouses and the Alliance are two of our greatest untapped resources. Just as many of us could not be effective physicians without our spouses, a healthy Alliance would benefit our medical association.

Join your peers on Tuesday, Feb. 20, as the new CEO of the California Medical Association, Joe Dunn, JD, takes the podium as keynote speaker at the Ventura County Medical Association General Membership Dinner. The former state senator from Orange will share his vision for the CMA and discuss top political issues affecting medicine in California.

Experts reveal five ways to get the best, most affordable coverage for your employees.

A contemporary artist, Randal Haworth, MD, is also a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who provides charity care abroad.